On the way to Mono Lake, we stopped at Panum Crater. Panum Crater is part of a chain of craters called the Mono-Inyo Craters. Panum Crater is the youngest of these craters that formed 600 to 40,000 years ago. There is a hike into the crater plug and around the crater on the rim. The trail into the crater has some loose rock. The boys found some obsidian rocks along the way. There is no shade on this hike, inside the crater and on the rim. The crater rim trail took us on a ridge, affording beautiful views of Mono Lake and the island that sits in its midst. Docent led hikes are available for these trails. There is a visitor center in the town of Lee Vining that gave us helpful information and a map of area attractions.

About 15 miles east of Yosemite's Tioga Pass East entrance is Mono Lake. One of North America's oldest lakes, Mono Lake is over a million years old and 2.5 times the ocean's salinity. The lake had grown in salinity as it has shrunken in volume, as its tributary streams got diverted to meet the demands of Los Angeles’ growing water needs. Tufa – the rock that these towers are made of, are formed underwater, as underwater calcium-rich springs meet with the lake water rich in carbonates. Calcium carbonate precipitates out of the water forming tufa towers. Tufa towers grow underwater up to 30 feet high. We see so much of it today because of receding lake water levels. There is a short flat unshaded trail (about 1 mile) that meanders through these sculptures. It is a pretty neat trail, to be walking amongst these giant oddly shaped rocks. We had a quick lunch in the shade of one of these rocks.

If you’re looking for a hike to escape a hot day near Silicon Valley, Uvas Canyon is the place for you. Uvas Canyon offered us a tree canopy that kept us well-shaded and the sounds of gently falling water alongside most of our hike. Waterfall Loop Trail offers a short ~1 mile trail past 3 of the park's named waterfalls, over and alongside many rocks and trees covered in bright green moss.

Not far from University of California, Berkeley lies a trailhead at the end of an unassuming residential street. A quick walk, about a half mile up the Stonewall-Panoramic trail, you’ll find a spot that overlooks the entire central part of the San Francisco Bay. Views of the Bay Bridge going through Treasure Island, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in the distance and the McCarthy Bridge made this spot a popular hike on the sunny Saturday April afternoon we enjoyed our 3 mile hike. There were many that stopped along this trail to enjoy the view.